Frozen tundra = another frozen water/bust waterer

[Ted Brown]

It was -36C/-33F this morning; short but intense.

I had a cord disconnected by a bird (ie my fault) resulting in frozen/destroyed plastic $75 heated waterer (the 3rd) .

Trying a 120 watt heater plate; first with a plastic waterer (did not work overnight but that was below spec). Contemplating buying a 5 gal dual wall metal one; then read the two sleeves freeze together.

Seems no perfect solution for winter water when its cold? Anyone?

 

[Mrs. K]

I am quite as cold as you, but I do the two black rubber bowls.

Fill one bowl. It will provide water for everyone to get a drink. Birds don't drink 24/7. Mine stay alive.

Next morning, flip the frozen bowl upside down in the sunshine, fill second bowl.

If you had a good sunny day, the day before, the ice block will melt from the heat absorbing black rubber and fall out of the bowl. Use that bowl for the days water, flip the frozen one into the sunshine.

Days there is not enough sunshine, cloudy and snowy... well then you have to stomp out the ice, and what will really get your goat...those silly chickens would rather eat the ice chips than drink the water? Go figure!

Works for me and mine. I do think you get better egg production if you provide more water, but electricity is not an option for me, so mine don't get the electric light or heated water, and the rubber bowls works. If you wanted to use the electric when the temps were not so darn cold, it would get you through that.

Mrs K

 

[NanaK]

So the bird unplugged it?
Try a bit of electrical tape on connections. Also will help keep dust/moisture out too.

 

[Mrs. K]

Mine are livestock bowls that are found in any livestock store. Birds will die of lack of water long before the chemical gets them. I have had the bowls for years, use them in the winter - outside, not in the coop. I have rather a long list of things I don't worry about, and that is one of them.

 

[Ted Brown]

A stated above I did use the separate heater base during the last part of the winter. I used a standard plastic 3 gal. water fountain with the heater base and it worked when temperatures remained above -20c. Unfortunately we got a number of colder days that required changing water.

I also found heated fountains on sale for $40 (half of normal) so bought two. I will add a plug connection cover to avoid the birds disconnecting it.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

How about wrapping heat tape around the metal waterer, as well putting it on a heater plate? Wrap it in insulation?

 

[viggo63]

I use this for my chickens:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...RqV8ClUkpp0IcJAOQEkxOd8InVhh3MKBoCsU8QAvD_BwE

This would keep anyone from disconnecting a cord:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...-connect-orange-water-tight-cc-1?cm_vc=-10005

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@Ted Brown I wish I could help, I've valued some of your contributions to BYC, but I just don't have experience with the sorts of cold the rest of the nation suffers. I use the huge polytotes, they are what, 275 gallon? That's a lot of thermal mass to freeze, but it doesn't help with the nipples/cups attached. If I had real cold, I'd submerge a heater into the polytote, and wrap my PVC with the heat tape they use to keep RV pipes from splitting - but it seems an expensive solution.

 

[AnnPann]

i have similar process for handling without electricity when it’s cold all day (just dump/refill when frozen) but my chickens are too messy for water on the ground like in the rubber bowls.

i use the omlet brand water containers. they have hooks on the back so can be rigged to hang on the sides of the run/coop. the thing i like most about them is they are indestructible. to break ice out of them, i’ve had to whack them against a fence pole, slam them down on a paver, and stomp on the bottoms with the heel of my boots. not so much as a scratch on them after 2 winters of abuse.

https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_k...nkers/18156/waterer_for_eglu_go_-_leaf_green/

however, i don’t like that they can get their wattles wet and frostbite (which happened to one pullet in december), so i try to use the nipple waterers as much as possible (which means remembering to bring them in on cold nights).

 

[biscuit7]

I am quite as cold as you, but I do the two black rubber bowls.

Fill one bowl. It will provide water for everyone to get a drink. Birds don't drink 24/7. Mine stay alive.

Next morning, flip the frozen bowl upside down in the sunshine, fill second bowl.

If you had a good sunny day, the day before, the ice block will melt from the heat absorbing black rubber and fall out of the bowl. Use that bowl for the days water, flip the frozen one into the sunshine.

Days there is not enough sunshine, cloudy and snowy... well then you have to stomp out the ice, and what will really get your goat...those silly chickens would rather eat the ice chips than drink the water? Go figure!

Works for me and mine. I do think you get better egg production if you provide more water, but electricity is not an option for me, so mine don't get the electric light or heated water, and the rubber bowls works. If you wanted to use the electric when the temps were not so darn cold, it would get you through that.

Mrs K

What brand water bowls do you use? I'm on the hunt for a large rubber bowl since my plastic one has a crack (stomping ice). Ideally made in USA. It seems a lot of people complain about the smell of the black rubber and are concerned about chemicals. Have you noticed that?